Three games remain, beginning tonight on Monday Night Football. The Green Bay Packers know their path.
The Packers can forget about the NFC North title. That's gone. Tonight, they can officially clinch a playoff berth with a victory over the New Orleans Saints, guaranteeing them a wild-card berth. They could still overtake the Minnesota Vikings to land the No. 5 seed or fall to the No. 7 spot, but that's the range.
Like last year, the Packers will need to go on the road in the wild-card round with hopes of replicating their stunning win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Unlike the Packers' chaotic end to the 2023 regular season that required winning out and getting some help, they have clarity this time around. They don't need to worry about other teams helping them. Just win. That's all that matters.
Packers' playoff path will look something like this
The first step is to win tonight. Achieve that, and the Packers will improve to 11-4 and secure their spot in the postseason. From there, it comes down to seeding.
No. 5 seed: Packers would play winner of NFC West or NFC South
If the Packers win their remaining three games (Saints, at Vikings, Bears) and the Vikings lose their remaining two (Packers, at Lions), Green Bay will clinch the No. 5 seed.
That would give them a first-round road game against the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or Seattle Seahawks. If the season ended today, it would be a matchup against Michael Penix Jr. and the 8-7 Falcons.
No. 6 seed: Packers would play winner of NFC West or NFC South
The Packers currently hold the No. 6 seed. If they remain in that spot, they will play the Rams, Falcons, Buccaneers, or Seahawks. Currently, it would be a Week 5 rematch against the Rams, who have gone 8-2 since the Packers dropped them to 1-4 earlier in the season.
No. 7 seed: Packers would play either Lions, Eagles, Vikings, or Commanders
This is the spot the Packers want to avoid. Green Bay can take a one-game lead over the Washington Commanders with a win tonight, but the Commanders have favorable matchups against the Falcons and Dallas Cowboys to come. If Washington wins both, Green Bay must win out to avoid falling to the No. 7 seed, as the Commanders hold a better conference record.
The No. 7 seed will meet the No. 2 seed in the first round. That team will come from the NFC North or NFC East. Currently, it would be the 12-3 Philadelphia Eagles in a Week 1 rematch.
If Philadelphia clinches the No. 1 seed, Green Bay would meet either the Detroit Lions or Vikings.